Naval Station Newport

NUWC Division Newport impact on economy was $1.3 billion in 2020

The total funded program of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport reached $1.3 billion in 2020. Of its total operating budget, $611 million was spent by Division Newport in payroll, materials, operational support, facility maintenance and military support and $723 million funded contracts.

“There’s so much to be proud of in this most unprecedented year,” said Technical Director Ron Vien about the economic report. “During this challenging time, NUWC Division Newport was open for business, provided unwavering fleet support, stimulated the local economy, and maintained the Navy’s status as the second largest employer in Rhode Island.”

NUWC Division Newport’s employee base includes 3,515 government civilian employees and 28 military members with a total gross payroll of $523 million. Of the full-time government civilian staff, 72% are classified as scientists or engineers, with 86% having four-year degrees and 31% having graduate degrees.

In addition to the government workforce, NUWC Division Newport contracted for approximately 2,611 work years during fiscal year 2020, which runs from Oct. 1, 2019 to Sept. 30, 2020, from companies located in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut, bringing its combined government and contractor workforce to more than 6,126 positions.

Money spent for contracts totaled approximately $723 million, with small business contracts obligated to Southern New England companies during the year exceeding $227 million. Approximately 87.6 percent of Division Newport’s contract obligations paid for new services in Rhode Island, and 90.5 percent of fiscal year 2020 contracts were competitively awarded.

Academic and intellectual outreach in 2020 included eight programs and 37 partnerships that totaled $681,000 and reached 4,591 students in kindergarten through Grade 12.

Division Newport has 57 active cooperative research and development agreements, and in the past five years developed 127 patents and published 852 technical papers.

Click here to view the report.

NUWC Division Newport is a shore command of the U.S. Navy within the Naval Sea Systems Command, which engineers, builds and supports America’s fleet of ships and combat systems. NUWC Newport provides research, development, test and evaluation, engineering and fleet support for submarines, autonomous underwater systems, undersea offensive and defensive weapons systems, and countermeasures associated with undersea warfare.

NUWC Newport is the oldest warfare center in the country, tracing its heritage to the Naval Torpedo Station established on Goat Island in Newport Harbor in 1869. Commanded by Capt. Chad Hennings, NUWC Newport maintains major detachments in West Palm Beach, Florida, and Andros Island in the Bahamas, as well as test facilities at Seneca Lake and Fisher’s Island, New York, Leesburg, Florida, and Dodge Pond, Connecticut.


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